Butler City Police are asking residents for help removing abandoned vehicles from downtown streets and properties.
According to Chief Bob O’Neill, abandoned vehicles have become a priority as they are an eyesore, are unsafe, and frequently take up valuable parking space for other residents. These vehicles can also prevent snow removal crews from doing their jobs.
Through the first 11 months of 2019, the department has encountered 217 incidents of abandoned vehicles. Of those, 101 vehicle owners were contacted by police with many removed by the owners or a towing company. About 10 cases are ongoing including one large issue with many vehicles involved.
Residents are asked to continue to contact police about abandoned vehicles but be patient as the process from reporting to removal lasts about one month. Owners of these vehicles should remove them as soon as possible rather than risk police fines and costly forced removal.